


Dreams That Endure

by SaraDrake



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F, Fluff and Angst, Krypton, Protective Kara Danvers, SuperCorp
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-24
Updated: 2017-03-24
Packaged: 2018-10-09 23:50:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10424595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaraDrake/pseuds/SaraDrake
Summary: Unrelenting loss and grief try to steal Kara's light, but still, she believes that some things endure forever.





	

_"That single moment in time where grief and terror intersect and become one..."-Unknown_

* * *

 

Lightning flashed, casting the room in vivid hues of violet and blue. So beautiful. It surged into the room mixing with the dim light, pouring onto a baby and her mother. Too young to appreciate such beauty, she clenched her tiny fingers into fists and threw her head back. The light was too bright and the noises too blaring.

She wailed her outrage to anyone in hearing distance.

Warm arms lifted her, enveloping her. Her mother's lingering scent invaded her senses, and a warmth spread through her body. Something feathered against her brow, and her cries trailed off to whimpers until settling into a happy hum.

The soft murmur of her mother's voice reached her ears. "I love you, my Kara." A pause. "More than anything." She felt fingers move down her cheeks. "Forever."

She didn't understand such words. All she knew was her mother's comfort. The need for warmth. The need to feel safe and held against her mother's soft body or wrapped in her father's strong arms.

The years passed in the blink of an eye, and the days often began with a four-year-old Kara bounding through the house like a rabid flame dragon. Her muscles would burn and her lungs would swell with the thrill of a new morning. Wild child, always running, never stopping, held in check by the moon peeking out from a dimming sky. She'd struggle, still fight the sandman even as her eyes grew heavy and began to shut.

Her parent's sanity was tested on nights like these. But, each evening, when the red sun of Rao vanished into the horizon, her parents would kneel by her bed and reaffirm those words.

_I love you._

_More than Anything._

_Forever._

Time passed, and suddenly it was the night of her fifth birthday. Kara stumbled to her bedroom, eyes heavy with fatigue.

Once inside, gentle luminance filled the area, and Kara's gaze found her huge bed. It looked so soft and warm. Her fingers traced the velvet comforter before pushing it aside and sinking into satin sheets. She stifled a yawn, but her eyes drooped.

The day had been exciting and wonderful! But, boy was she tired!

"Did you enjoy your day, sweetheart?" Her mother asked, standing by the doorway.

"It was wonderful!" Kara exclaimed, lips lifting in a grin. "Natalie showed me how to play freeze!"

Her mother padded to the side of the bed and then sat in the space between Kara and the end table.

"Freeze?" Her father asked, his lids crinkling with amusement. He walked to her other side and crouched beside her.

"Yes, I stare at something and scream freeze and then Natalie throws ice at it!"

"I am sure Andra enjoyed that game." Her mother frowned, and Kara looked away.

"Oh, yes, she did. She kept chasing us!"

Her father laughed and shook his head. "Well, let's try not to get Andra too excited."

Andra wasn't really excited. She was mad! But, she did look funny when the red liquid the adults drank smeared all over the papers resting on one of the tables in the kitchen. It wasn't like Kara meant to trip on the ice and spill a glass of that liquid her parents refused to let her sip.

The way the older woman's face had flashed so many shades of red, and how those eyes bulged. A clown! She could have been a clown. Least, Kara was smart enough to keep that comment to herself.

But Rao, that woman was so stern and proper. Her lips always twisted in a perpetual scowl as if she was one of the wicked witches her aunt Astra liked to spook Kara with.

_I bet she has a black pointy hat!_

Her lips pulled downward into a pout. She knew she shouldn't have streaked ice all over the polished floors, but she couldn't help it if it melted so fast.

Well, not really.

"Yes, daddy," Kara said, eyes downcast.

"Well, it's time to sleep," her father said, glancing at her mother.

"Goodnight, my sweet Kara." Her mother touched a panel on the wall, and darkness blanketed the room.

"Goodnight, mommy." Kara's lips lifted into a smile. She turned and gazed upon her father. "Goodnight, daddy."

"I love you, sweetheart."

_A mother's kiss._

"More than anything."

_A father's embrace._

"Forever."

_Her parent's love._

Those words had become a ritual, ever faithful. They'd fill her with peace before her eyes closed and she drifted off into fields of gold that stretched endlessly, sprouting flowers of forever. Those white blossoms of innocence that clustered among pink carnations that she'd soar above, smiling as their sweet scents lingered around her.

She loved her dreams. She could fly in her dreams. Real life was boring.

Years flew by, and before she knew it, a ten-year-old Kara stood wide eyed, staring at an enormous building in the distance. It was cylindrical in shape, walls clear as ice towering impossibly high. Her parents stood beside her, backs straight and chins raised. She would start her training and enter the science guild like her father. It was an honor to stand among those so great.

She had never been so terrified in her life.

She took a calming breath, but it was no use. She was a bundle of raw nerves.

Her father squeezed her shoulder. "You will do fine, dear one."

"What…what if no one likes me?" she asked, her voice dropping down to a whisper.

"They would be foolish not to, love," her mother said, beaming at her with such confidence.

Confidence in her. She didn't deserve such confidence.

Many children of the noble families would study alongside her. She'd be one among the many. No one special. Her father, though, had been a leader among inventive thought and theory. His name would be the standard her teachers would use as a comparison. They'd scrutinize her with their microscopes, searching. Probing.

Her heart pounded in her chest and her hands grew damp.

She had tutors, and her parents afforded her the best education, but she wasn't brilliant like her father. She didn't have the wisdom of her mother.

She was just...Kara. Ordinary.

Rubbing at the scar above her left brow, she sighed. "I'm scared."

Her mother pulled her chin towards her. "My daughter, you will make us all proud. You will succeed. I know this."

Kara took another deep breath.

"I believe in you," her father said, his expression matching her mothers. Fierce. Determined.

She wanted to be worthy of her parents. She wanted her classmates' admiration and affection. But, her legs still quaked as she turned from her parents and glanced at the formidable structure.

Squaring her shoulders, Kara marched right up to the massive door. She chanced one last look at her parents and dipped her head. She could do this. She would do this.

That night, her parents huddled in her room, leaning over her bed. They spoke of her day and all her new friends. They spoke of life and the exciting future ahead. Kara's mother lifted her thick silver blanket and tucked it under her chin.

"I love you," her mother whispered, as she always had.

Her father's gentle expression exuded those words.

"More than anything," her mother said, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. Kara fought the urge to fidget. Her mother always messed with her hair.

"Forever." Her parents left her to her thoughts before her dreams took her.

The years passed, and Kara's studies overwhelmed her. But, she enjoyed them. She especially loved the stars and following the constellations.

She'd spend the majority of her day buried in her lessons, but still had time for her new friends. David, Natalie, and Anna. David stared at her a little too much, though. The staring got worse around her thirteenth birthday. Her mom said it's because her body had changed, but Kara didn't care.

David was creepy!

And then, one night, the thunder came. But, much louder than thunder, it rumbled. It raged. It roared. It devoured. Shrieks ripped through the walls, and Kara jolted awake, gasping. Disoriented, she blinked.

The ceiling groaned, and dust sprinkled to the floor.

The ground shuddered and Kara sprung forward and glanced around. Her parents barreled through the doorway, their faces ashen.

"Kara, come quickly!" Her mother's tone penetrated through the walls.

Kara rubbed her eyes. "Mom?"

"Now, Kara!"

Kara ran.

They ran through the hallway, and into a side door leading into a tunnel. It began to slope upwards. They surged forward, narrowly escaping a column that smashed to the ground. She screeched.

Suddenly, the hallway quaked. Smoke and ash assaulted her eyes. Rao, they burned. Kara yelped and breathed in the smoke. She coughed, straining to clear her throat. Breathing became difficult. She dropped to her knees, holding her arms around herself.

_Not real. Just a dream. Not real._

_Crack_.

An explosion of crystal and stone reverberated through the hallway.

Her father looped a hand under her shoulder and drug her to her feet. "Move!"

She gulped and charged ahead. The smoke thickened into a dark haze. More crashing. More rumbles. She ignored it, kept running.

 _Crash_.

She whirled and gasped. The ground behind her tilted, breaking away. With adrenaline racing through her veins, she spun and darted forward.

Ahead, the tunnel opened into another wide room. Her breath was ragged and her chest heaved like it would explode. She only needed to go a little further.

The floor fractured, and she lost her footing. She sank to the ground, calves stinging. Her father reached for her, dragging her behind him once again.

They reached the next room—a hangar. A single spacecraft awaited them. It was one of the pods used for single transport. They generally made long ranged trips for interstellar travel. But, how would her family fit in that?

Abruptly, the wall ahead collapsed, and a huge portion of asphalt and other debris crashed to the ground. Kara threw herself at her father, clinging to him.

"Kara, honey," her mother said. Both of her hands gripped Kara's shoulders. "Please, listen."

But, Kara wasn't hearing anything except the sounds of her planet writhing before its sudden death. "Oh, Rao." She mumbled the words repeatedly—a prayer to her red sun.

Her mother tried again, her fingers almost biting into Kara's skin. "Listen!"

Kara blinked and blinked.

"Mom?"

Alura Zor-El bent her knees and stared into Kara's eyes. "Dear one, you have to leave."

"Leave? How? Mom, this is just a pod! We can't all fit!" Kara's voice rang out frantic.

"There isn't time. We will follow you as soon as we are able." Her mother said, her wide eyes darting around in time with another crash.

Kara felt all the warmth leave her body. The air became frigid and her hands shook. Her father began to usher her towards the craft.

More screams and the sound of shattered glass echoed around her. Her heart raced. Her stomach churned. She glanced at the pod and trembled.

"Mom? You…you're leaving me? Just like that?" She wavered on her feet, sure she'd meet with the floor. "Don't go. Please, don't leave me."

"Dear one, listen to me," Her mother said, her voice urgent. Kara's shoulders began to burn in her mother's grip. "You have to protect Kal-El."

_Kal-El? He isn't even here!_

As if reading her thoughts, her mother continued. "He is in another space pod as we speak. You are all he has." Tears streamed down her mother's face. "Promise me, Kara, you'll look after him."

"But, you'll be there. You said you're coming! You'll be there!"

"Promise me, Kara!"

Kara's heart sunk to her stomach. A part of her understood that her mother wouldn't be there to care for her cousin. No one would.

"No! I can't! Please!"

"Promise me!"

She didn't know what to do. Words froze on her tongue. Only ash and death remained.

_No. No. I can't do this._

"Kara! There is no time. Promise me!"

Her mother's fierce gaze fixed on her. Kara couldn't look away. Couldn't stand up to Alura's will.

She cleared her throat. "I promise." Her soft voice, barely a whisper, echoed around her.

Her father pressed a series of buttons and the hatch opened with a buzzing noise, followed by the dull vibrations of the engine. Sapphire lights lined the ship on the outer shell, but fluorescence illuminated the control center.

Her mother yanked Kara into her arms. "Kara, always remember who you are. You are Kara Zor-El from the great house of El."

Kara swallowed at the passion in her mother's voice.

" _Never_ forget who you are! _Never_! Help those in need. Give of yourself. Be proud, daughter for we are already proud of you!"

Her father pulled Kara from her mother and embraced her tightly before giving her back a gentle push towards the spacecraft. "Kara, get in." Her father's voice sounded gruff, hoarse and full of pain.

Kara gasped. She couldn't breathe. The spacecraft wouldn't fit all three of them. The world was scorching all around her, and her parents wanted to shove her in this spacecraft.

She'd lose them. She'd be alone.

"No!" Tears clogged her throat and fell freely from her lids. "Mommy, please. Daddy!"

She had reverted back to those words. _Mommy_. _Daddy_. The words she had used when she was younger and cried for her parents to save her from nightmares. Those words that would make everything alright again.

She squeezed her eyes shut and waited.

The world still burned. The ship still awaited, and her parents were still pushing her gently inside.

She twisted, trying to escape her father's hold. But, it didn't help. His hands just gripped her more firmly and shoved her inside. And her entire chest ached. She didn't want to leave but she couldn't fight her father. He was too strong.

"Mommy!" She couldn't scream loud enough. Her head moved left, then right several times before she blurted, "Please! Daddy! Please!"

His eyes shimmered like a melted glacier from the barrens back east. His jaw clenched, and he gazed up at the ceiling. Glass shard plummeted behind them, causing tremors in the ground.

The hatch closed.

Her parent's palms slammed against the transparent screen, a strong crystalline film that protected the ship but still allowed visibility.

"I love you, Kara." Her mother's said, the words almost incomprehensible, the words choked. "More than anything." She paused, her eyes flashed bright. "Forever."

Kara's mouth widened and a sound erupted from her mouth. A scream. A cry. A shriek. The last of her kind. Loss and anguish consumed her. She clutched at her chest wracked with violent sobs.

The ship vibrated and then jolted, and her head swam. Dizzy. Yet, still, she screamed.

An outburst of energy resounded through the tiny craft. Her head jerked forward. Her neck stung with pain. She looked over her shoulder and wished she hadn't.

Angry red flames engulfed what remained of House Zor-El as if Rao himself raged from the sky. A sky streaked with fire.

She had lost her home. The only home she knew. The home her parents...

Her eyes widened.

They said they'd join her shortly. The promised! They'd have never made it out. Not from that blast!

They knew they'd never see her again. Rao! They said forever. Forever! Her breath hitched and heaves strangled her.

The ship lurched forward, the aftershock of another explosion propelling it into a perfect canvas of stars.

Her planet. Her people. Her family. Gone. Everyone vanished. Buried deep in the unforgiving void of space and reduced to ash and debris. As if they were nothing. As if they never existed at all.

She crumbled against her seat. "I love you." Her voice became lost in the cacophony of cries that escaped her lungs. "More than anything." She reached her hand out to the viewport, pressing against the cool surface. "Forever."

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> So, It happened again. I couldn't sleep and then this story shouted in my head demanding to be heard. Who am I to say no?


End file.
